


Petals on a Wet, White Bough

by kanzakimai



Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Gen, Multi, Next Generation, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:06:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6769903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanzakimai/pseuds/kanzakimai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>See, the thing is- he's not an idiot.</p>
<p>But-</p>
<p>But he's only human.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Petals on a Wet, White Bough

See, the thing is- he's not an idiot.  
  
He's _not_ (stop rolling your eyes, Sasuke, you asshat!).  
  
He's the Hokage for crying out loud!  
  
He knows diplomacy (-yes, actual diplomacy, not just cracking his knuckles at rogue ninja or shitty asshole noble lords- that was one time Shikamaru, one time!).  
  
Sure, he's prone to idi- silliness. He's prone to silliness from time to time and there's nothing wrong with that ( _Don't_. Don't talk Sai, just Don't.).  
  
Sure, he's not the brightest bulb in the room (but how can you blame him when he's surrounded by nerds- yes, Ino that includes you- why are you angry!? _You were top of our class_!!).  
  
And sure, he knows the world today is changing at a tremendous pace and there's always something new when he blinks- be it in technology or the medical field or even socially! (Orange jumpsuits are making a comeback!)  
  
But-  
  
But he's only human.  
  
\---  
  
"Huh."  
  
Boruto groans, blushing to the top of his ears.  
  
"Just end me now," he says melodramatically. At his left, Mitsuki pats his shoulder once, saying, " _there, there_ ". At his right, Chouchou snorts, chewing her gum loudly and slowly while checking her nails as if she's bored to death.  
  
Sarada (his sweet apprentice, nicest girl he knows, nothing like his _pain in the ass_ best friend-) stands just behind his chair, looking at the three in front of them with mild amusement.  
  
"No, seriously," he starts again, motioning to the three of them. "Huh."  
  
Chouchou turns to him, just as Mitsuki grins his way, raises a brow at him like he's an idiot.  
  
"It's not that hard to understand. Sir."  
  
Boruto groans like he's being tortured.  
  
"Well I guess it is to me because I don't understand!" (It's a sign of how he's grown in all these years because he doesn't shout as loudly as he _could have_.)  
  
Sarada takes mercy on him then- or so he had hoped.  
  
" _Huh_."  
  
"Polyamory," Sarada repeats slowly as if he's a scared animal ready to bolt. He's not proud to admit that that's exactly what he feels like (and if he bolts it's to find Shikamaru, so he can explain it all to him, and only because of that!) "It's- look, Sir, nobody is cheating on anyone, trust me on this one."  
  
"But-" he starts, pointing accusive fingers at Chouchou and his son, the former who glares at him unabashedly and the latter who looks like he's gonna cry from both embarrassment and aggravation.  
  
Sarada shake her head with a smile. "Chou isn't cheating on me just as Boruto isn't cheating on Mitsuki. They're dating."  
  
He's not sure what noise comes out of his mouth but it's undignified and makes him feel like he's 12 once again.  
  
"Well, they're dating _too_ ," Sarada amends, as if it makes it easier to understand.  
  
"Huh?!"  
  
Chouchou throws her hands up. "Ugh! Just listen up!" she shouts, aggravated and for a second Naruto is reminded of her mother and the beating she gave him once upon a time. Chouchou points at Sarada. "She's dating me, I'm dating Boruto, and he's going out with Mitsuki. I'm sure as hell not dating that pasty, skinny ass-"  
  
"Rude."  
  
"-and neither is Sarada. Got it? Or do you need a diagram?"  
  
"Diagram," he answers immediately that Boruto responds with a cry of " _why me_!?".  
  
Chouchou blinks at him. "He's hopeless," she states like she can't believe it.  
  
"Look, dad," Boruto says, still blushing, looking mortified and definitely not looking him in the eye. "Chouchou is right-"  
  
"Course I am."  
  
"It's not that hard to understand just because you're straight-"  
  
"Not straight."  
  
"Doesn't mean- what."

The four of them are now looking at him with wide eyes (Chouchou's eyebrows are nearing her hairline).  
  
Naruto shrugs, uncomfortable from the staring and the silence. "I'm not- I mean I'm not gay but-"  
  
"So you understand the concept of bisexuality, if not pansexuality or demisexuality, but you just don't understand the concept of multiple consenting partners?" Mitsuki cuts in.  
  
A beat.  
  
Naruto points at Mitsuki. "That. I think."  
  
Another beat.  
  
"That's the simplest part, how are you not getting it?" Chouchou asks, looking at him like he's Shino once he's finished laughing or smiling after discovering a new bug species. Which he knows, for all intent and purpose, means she must find him quite strange. _Quite_.  
  
Naruto shrugs again, feeling defeated by four kids who haven't even hit twenty yet.  
  
"Do you think she's your soulmate?"  
  
They all turn to Boruto who's finally looking him in the eyes, expression blank, guarded.  
  
"Do you think mom's your soulmate?"  
  
"Yes." It took him so long to realize but yes she is, he knows it in his bones.  
  
"To you she's The One?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Boruto nods. "Well, I don't have one. I have two. In ten, twenty years I might have three or four or maybe I'll still have just two," his son says, looking serious and far away.  No longer blushing.  
  
Chouchou leans back into the couch while Mitsuki leans forward, elbows on his knees.  
  
"I- there's no way I could have picked _one_ because I- I don't love one more than the other. I _don't_. And if they'll let me, if they'll have me then I wanna show them that I love them because- Well, because I want them both to know that I _do_ and they- they both deserve and need to know that.  I can't just love both- _be with_ both and while trying to keep them a secret all together or even just from one another as if I'm ashamed. I can't have my have my cake and eat it too in that sense because they deserve better than that. I'm not just attracted to them, I _respect_ them enough to not pull that shit on them."  
  
Chouchou watches his son with a pleased smile and even Mitsuki's usual teasing grin has gone tender.  
  
"So I told them. I told them and they were ok with it- with us as an _us_. They understood- Chouchou especially, she- she gets it too, you know? Loving, really loving, more than one person when the whole world talks about The One or your other half that completes you or whatever," his son says, moving his hand as if swatting a pest. "So, that's how we ended up here. With me dating Mitsuki and Chouchou, and her still dating Sarada too. We all know and no one is left out of the loop."  
  
"Except me?"  
  
Boruto rolls his eyes, a small blush making its way on his face once more. "None of us are the flaunting type and seriously? We kept it under wraps because of the paparazzi."  
  
Naruto smiles. "Ok. But why did my couch have to suffer?"  
  
"Heat of the moment," Chouchou and Mitsuki both answer. Boruto groans and drops his head into his hands.  
  
And Sarada laughs at that and Naruto can't help but join her because he gets it, he finally does-  
  
And as such, teasing his son about it is now fair game.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this because:  
> One, because Chouchou/Boruto is better than all ships out there (just think of the family dinners) and because Mitsuki/Boruto is [good shit emoji.txt].  
> Two, because I can.  
> Three, because I still can't get it thru my head that Kishimoto pulled a HP Epilogue on us all (even though I shouldn't have surprised At All).


End file.
